Hi blog!
It’s been a short – and long – eventful week. This is my first internship, and I’m still shocked I was chosen for a lab! Here’s a rundown of the first week of my 10-week journey:
Tuesday – Orientation Day: I was extremely nervous presenting my introductory PowerPoint to my peers; however, everyone was welcoming and kind, so it wasn’t that bad. The food that was provided was delicious! This orientation gave me a sense of accomplishment and independence as I learned communication is key here. I knew what to be expected of me and that being in “The Cloud” did not equate to failure.
Wednesday – Safety Training and Meeting with Mentors: The safety training is serious, which intimidated me a little to work in a lab setting. Yet, knowing what to do if a mistake happens is always great. I was also provided lunch that day, 10/10! I met my graduate mentor, who is very professional, flexible, and helpful. The lab room itself has a ton of equipment I don’t know how to use, maybe I will learn someday.
Thursday – Lab Day: I got to shadow my mentor in copper catalyst synthesis, luckily this process is very repetitive, so I took down a few procedure notes and I feel I can definitely (maybe) do this procedure myself! There’s still lots of reading I have to do to understand these complex concepts.
Friday – Lab Day: More shadowing in the lab!
Overall, this has been an amazing introductory week to this program, and I’m very grateful to take in this experience and learn, as well as put myself out of my comfort zone of not knowing anything or anyone! Until next week!
Awesome!
Unfortunately, the pictures are showing up on my end. Nevertheless, I’m excited for you to get started with your internship!
Chloe, it’s great to hear you enjoyed your first week! It’s exciting to learn that you had an opportunity to shadow your mentor immediately and that you took notes for your own hands-on learning. I look forward to learning more about the work you will be doing in your lab over the next few weeks.